Impeovement in the manefactuke of soap



JOHN GHIIILGOTT, or BROOK-LYN, NEW YORK.

Letterslatcnt No. 66,218, ilatcrl July 2, 1867; mitedate cl June 15, I867;

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP,

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN CHILCOTT, of Brooklyn, 'in the county of Kings, and State of New York, have discovered or invented a certain new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Soap, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is based upon the discovery that gelatin, which, in the ordinary condition, is not saponifiable, can be saponified after having been subjected to a high degree of heat. This being the case, the invention consists in the manufacture of soap from gelatin, either with or without fat, oil, or grease, by first subjecting the gelatin to a sufliciently high degree of heat, and then mixing or treating it with a suitable alkaline lye.

The method in which I generally proceed in performing my invention is, first, to take the bones and other parts of animals containing gelatin, and place them in a retort, into which I introduce steam at a pressure of from thirty (30) to one hundred and fifty (150) pounds per square inch, and in which I digest them with the steam for a period of from half an hour to one hour and a half, or until all the gelatin has been extracted from them. I then struinoti the gelatin and the fatty matter extracted with it through a strainer or filter in the bottom of the retort. If I desire to manufacture soap from the gelatin alone I allow the gelatin and fatty matter to separate by the subsidence of the gelatin, and after having skimmed off the fat I heat the gelatin with an alkaline lye in the same manncrin which fats are heated for the manufacture of soaps until the gelatin has been perfectly saponified. Or, if I desire tomanufaeture the whole of the products of the digestion, bot-h gelatinous and fatty, into soap, 1- heat the'whole of said products with alkaline lye in the some manner to effect their saponification. v i

Gelatin or glue which has been obtained in the ordinary way may also be manufactured into soap by subjecting it in'a retort to the action of steam at the pressure hereinbcfore mentioned, by which its character is so for changed as to rendcuit suponifiablo, and afterward heating it, as hcreinabove described, with an alkaline lye; or gelatin or glue which has had its character so changed by heat may be mixed in any proportion with grease, oil, or fatty matter, and heated with alkaline lye in the same manner.

I am aware that gelatin or glue has been nsedin various methods in'the manufacture of soap, but, so far as I know, it is not actually sapouifi cd, but merely mixed with soap made from grease to bind it or give it body.

On the contrary, it has been generally believed that gelatin could not be actually saponified, and although it has been known that by long boiling or being heated very highly it loses its gelatinous or adhesive character, I believe that it has never been used in the manufacture of soap after itschuracter had been so changed. A distinguishing characteristic of this soup is: that in its normal eonditionit is lighter than and floats in water.

I do not claim broadly the use of gelatin in the manufacture of soup; but what I claim as new, and desire to. secure by Letters Patent, is--- p The manufacture of.soap from gelatin, either with oewithout' greas c, oil, or fatty matter, by first subjecting the gclatinto the action of a suitable degree of heat to render it sapouifiable, and, afterward treating it with alkali, substantially as herein specified. V

- JOHN CHILCOTT.

. Witnesses:

Hrrrom'rs .MALI, Cults; E. Fnosr. 

